"Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated." ~Confucius

Monday, January 3, 2011

Better Than Take-Out: Pizza

One take-out food that we've become very good at imitating is pizza! We actually include it in each week's meal plan now because it is easy and satisfies our junk food cravings. I really love recreating this meal because it works no matter what you've got leftover in the fridge or hiding in the back of your pantry.

﻿This was one of our very first attempts at making homemade pizza. It involved using a pre-made pizza crust and pizza sauce from a can. We were at the end of our paycheck when we made this, so we used leftover chicken breast, carrots (yes, I said carrots!) and a few mushrooms we had in the crisper drawer. It was good, but definitely not a hit!

﻿Our first truly homemade (and obviously overcooked!) pizza was also not a huge hit, but we knew we were on the right track. The dough was easy to make and tasted better than it's store bought cousin. One batch makes a deep dish crust that fit our largest cookie sheet perfectly, but you could easily roll it out more if you prefer a thinner crust. I'd love to try baking the crust on a pizza stone to compare, but we're still lacking that utensil in our kitchen. A tip here is to stab the dough repeatedly with a fork before you put the sauce and toppings on to avoid air pockets when baking. I also found later that brushing the crust with olive oil before baking makes it crisp up a bit more authentically.

Homemade Pizza Dough~

2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 cup of warm water

4 cups a.p. bread flour

pinch of salt

1 cup water

1 tablespoon oil

Mix the yeast, sugar and warm water and let it sit 10 minutes until foamy. Add the flour, salt and water to the yeast mixture to form a sticky ball. Knead on a floured bench until smooth, then put it in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let dough proof in a warm spot for 1 hour. Remove plastic and punch down dough until deflated. Roll out to desired shape and bake on oiled surface or parchment.

*Dough can also be stored in the fridge overnight before baking.

It was the homemade sauce that finally won us over! All I did was take a small jar of our homemade tomato sauce base and a few tablespoons of our homemade tomato paste from last summers canning projects, and heat them in a saucepan with some chopped garlic and dried Italian herb mix. It took less than 5 minutes to make, but it tasted like it had been simmering on the stove all day, probably because of all the work that went into making the sauce base when the tomatoes were fresh during the summer.

As you can see, our more recent attempts are much more successful, and Pizza Night has become a much anticipated event in our household. One of the things we've learned it that you'll need way more cheese than you'd expect to use! We actually like to do two layers, one light layer over the sauce and then another thicker layer over the toppings. Also, make sure that you slice the veggies thinly or the crust will be done before the toppings are.

Before, our pizza delivery bill would typically run between $20-30. Now we can make one extra large pizza for the whole family for around $5! The most expensive components for us are the pepperoni and the cheese, and everything else we typically have on hand. If you were to make a vegetarian pizza then you could easily pay less than a dollar provided that the dough ingredients are something you already have in your pantry.

The dough also works for calzones and as focaccia﻿ bread. We like to make calzones when we are short on ingredients, or when we need to please several different palates. The key here is not to over stuff them and to make sure you get a good seal around the edges. One batch of dough makes 3 large pizza pockets. And as I mentioned earlier, a brush of olive oil helps you get a nice golden crust! We cooked these at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes and the crust & filling were done at the same time. A calzone also makes a good meal on the go, so make an extra one for lunch the next day!

Visiting the Grand Canyon

About Us

We are your average family, living an average life! Jason is an AWESOME Dad and a sailor in the US Navy. He enjoys working with wood and can fix anything! He also likes to cook and bake, and especially enjoys trying new recipes. Kristina is a stay-at-home Mom and a full-time college student working towards her degree in Environmental Studies. She enjoys preserving and cooking the fresh organic foods she finds at the local Farmer's Market. She also loves to read...so please feel free to make recomendations! Their son Kai is in the 3rd grade this year, and is enjoying his first year of homeschooling! He enjoys gardening and helping out in the kitchen. He also bowls and plays baseball...GO PIRATES! Dakota, Jason's older son, is 11 and recently moved to Colorado. He is playing his first year of football and is enjoying making new friends!